The sixth edition of Food Africa, a major international exhibition for the agro-food industry in the African region, opened on Monday in Egypt's capital Cairo, attracting over 400 exhibitors from various countries.

Held at the International Exhibition Center, the three-day fair is expected to welcome some 21,000 professionals seeking business opportunities.

"The exhibition is a promising platform where we can meet new customers from different countries ... It helps us find new markets outside Egypt," Mahmoud Shabana, director of exports at an Egyptian tea company, told Xinhua.

"The expo also helps us build relationships with public and private entities to expand our business, exchange experiences and share know-how with industry stakeholders as well as connecting with new and existing suppliers and dealers," he added.

The exhibition also includes the Hosted Buyers Program, a platform meant to facilitate B2B business undertakings and maximize return on investment for participants.

Last year, the program presented industry professionals the opportunity to meet with 476 selected buyers from Egypt and the region.

For buyers seeking business opportunities, the fair allows them to source new goods and product lines from exhibitors on the spot and helps them negotiate contracts and sign agency and distribution agreements.

"The exhibition and the program help us learn about the latest innovations, network at an array of events and benefit from pre-scheduled meetings with exhibitors of our choice," Ahmed Abdel-Gawwad, owner of an Egyptian food distribution company, told Xinhua.

Saad al-Zoghby from a local beverage company, said he visited the fair to explore the wide selection of food and speciality products from local, regional, and international suppliers.

"It is a major exhibition and I am always keen to visit it ... I can find most of the companies working in the food industry at one place which makes it easier for me to sort and select the items I want to buy," he added.